He was the chief engineer of the Pontiac division of General Motors in the early 1960s and he was instrumental in the design of the GTO along with chassis expert Bill Collins and engine man Russell Gee.

The GTO was conceived largely because of the fact that General Motors had decided to stop allowing its divisions to be involved in automobile racing. By the early 1960s Pontiac had developed a reputation for performance, so the management team turned its attention to street legal muscle.

There was a more expensive GTO package available as well and it included what was called a “Tri-Power” carburation system that upped the horsepower to 348 bhp. The GTO equipped with this package was timed at 14.8 seconds for a quarter-mile from a standing position and it is said that it could go from 0 to 60 in 6.6 seconds.

Looking back on the history of the muscle car it is clear that the GTO was a ground breaker. The initial run of the car lasted through the 1974 model year, and it will always be considered one of the quintessential muscle cars that distinguished itself during the classic era of the breed.

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When you talk about the great American muscle cars of the 1960s and beyond one of the first vehicles that is going to enter the conversation is the Pontiac GTO.When you talk about the great American muscle cars of the 1960s and beyond one of the first vehicles that is going to enter the conversation is the Pontiac GTO.